Passion in the Animal Kingdom
by Nanihoo
Summary: Earth's a sick planet. Species disappearing, entire habitats destroyed. It's a subject a one Seto K couldn't care less about. But as our CEO is about to discover, when you're lost in the jungle with a female conservationist, you don't have a choice S/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.**

* * *

Domino High crowded with students who ran to get to their lockers and those rushing inside to escape the heavy downpour outside. Kaiba mentally sighed half-heartedly. The same plain walls, same idiot boys, same brainless girls. It was a wonder that he even managed to stay sane here.

Gozaboro, that bastard.

It was a rule his stepfather had established only to make it harder to control Kaiba Corp. If he didn't finish school then that stupid board of advisors would legally own the company he had spent most of his time rebuilding. No way in hell was he going to allow that to happen.

At least he had gotten the more annoying and unbearable subjects like art and drama done during his first year. Those were some dark days…

The young CEO glanced down at his watch and sighed. He had arrived much earlier than needed. He could have taken Mokuba to school. Well at least he managed to pack his little brother's lunch today. Hm, maybe he could go see him at lunch. That didn't sound like a bad idea; he could swing by starbucks on his way back and pick up a cup of-

"Excuse me."

Kaiba glanced down and glared.

"You're standing on my homework," said the girl.

She must be new because he'd never seen her before, or, she could be one of those fan girls who changed everything about they're appearance just to get his attention. She could've done a better job in his opinion.

She had short bright copper hair that was in a pixie cut. Most girls went longer with their hair, not shorter.

Small silver panda bear earrings hung on either side of her sharp face below several other metal studs that decorated her ears. Yep, she was definitely new; the teachers never allowed that kind of jewelry. As his gaze shifted downwards, Kaiba noted that she had not taken a liking to the pink uniform jacket and instead had the article of clothing tied around her waist, the blue bow stuffed in the pocket. The first couple of buttons to the white shirt underneath gave a glance at her slightly tanned skin where a black necklace with more charms than a playboy hanging down just above where he expected her cleavage would start. Speaking of cleavage, her body was curved nicely. A little high strung but hormone inducing nevertheless. The brunette also noticed that there was many scars carved around her knees on the skin between the tiny uniform skirt and her white knee high socks.

Deciding that he'd log her into the back reaches of his mind in order to avoid her, he looked back up to her face. Sapphire met cinnamon. Her brown eyes flickered down to the ground and then back up to his cold stare. When he didn't seem to catch the hint she let out a snort and placed a slender hand on her hip. The gesture was quite becoming of the young woman. Her tone, however, was not.

"I have class to get to, you know."

He growled. Indeed there was a sheet of neatly written algebra with his shoeprint right in the middle. As he lifted his foot the paper stuck to the sole. Kaiba sighed and lifted his foot. But before he could reach the girl grabbed his ankle and jerked it upward making him lose his balance. With a very unKaiba-like sound the CEO landed on the floor. His neatly organized binder spewed its pages like a fountain across the hallway and people stopped and stared, or in the fan girls' case, gasped with horror.

"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?!" he snarled to hide his embarrassment.

The girl shrugged, dropping his foot and examining the piece of paper that caused all this chaos. Her eyes narrowed at the giant footprint right in the middle. At least that gave Kaiba a little bit of grim satisfaction.

"You took too long," she answered. She didn't even look at him as she added the paper into a folder in her hand, tucking it carefully back in her bag. She turned.

"Nice panties, skank" he smirked. Being on the ground apparently had some perks after all. Besides, here he was, sprawled on the floor and shocked as hell. That certainly wouldn't do for his reputation.

Much to his surprise and slight horror, the girl rolled her eyes and once again placed her hand on her hip.

"Well take a good look 'cause it's the last time you'll ever see them."

And just when things couldn't get any worse, that idiot Wheeler and Yugi appeared not far away.

"N-nice come back, money-bags" the blond laughed so hard he doubled over.

"Shut the hell up, you mangy mutt!"

That put an end to the teasing; like pulling a dogs tail. Of course this left him with a volatile blond on his hands, but he'd much rather deal with a mutt whose anger blinded him than that red head. With a cold glare that froze everyone in the hall to the floor, daring just one person to mention what had happened, he spun on his heel and stalked to class.

The rest of the afternoon didn't fair well for the young CEO. Whether it was burning his uniform during chemistry or some idiot spilling paint down the front on his shirt, needless to say this didn't help his already foul mood. And just when he thought it couldn't be any worse, gym was next. He hated gym.

"Alright, the girls have graciously decided to join us today for a friendly game of dodge ball, so go easy on 'em, boys."

The boys' gym teacher smirked deviously at the girls instructor who had her arms crossed and a sly smile that said clearly he didn't know what he was in for.

"Chauvinist pig" Seto heard one of the girls snort. Suddenly the same girl's voice dropped a few octaves and snickered, "Hey Jordan, your boyfriend's back."

Oh great it was that red head again.

Chocolate irises rolled in just the right way that made him want to throttle something. Where's Wheeler when you need him?

The whistle blew and the boys went to one side while the girls went to the other. The red head smirked at him, gaze dropping to the platoon of rubber balls placed directly between them, and then back to him eyes sparkling with a challenge.

"One, two, three- GO!"

Nobody had ever seen the CEO sprint so fast. She was fast to but a half a second short to beat him. Her slender frame dodged to the side, twisting beautifully, to pick up the ball just beside. She wasted no time in hurling it directly at his head. It made a shiver run down his spine as the air rushed by his ear. She had missed him by millimeters. Well he'd just have to return the favor.

Very quickly people started getting tagged and took their place against the walls but by no means did any of them think they'd lost; some of them actually sighed in relief. The speed Kaiba and that new girl were throwing broke the sound barrier. Though they were the only ones left in play neither of them relented even a smidge.

"You look like you need a break, getting tired already, pretty boy?"

Seto sneered, dodging with grace all the while returning fire. "You should shut up and save your energy. I'm nowhere near through with you yet. Too bad this won't be lasting much longer."

Her laugh sounded like a panthers, smooth and tantalizing but dangerous and mocking.

"I agree. This match is over because you're about to lose!"

Suddenly her body stopped mid-momentum from a spinning sidestep and elegantly swiveled in the opposite direction, something he didn't expect.

He literally had to crouch to one knee to avoid the shot. She giggled in delight.

Seto's eyes dropped to his position. She had made him bow! Nobody made him bow!

And immensely loud bang echoed off the gym wall behind her emitting a large collective gasp from everyone including the coaches.

Brown eyes broadened in awe. A piece of deflated rubber, popped by the blinding impact, fell to the ground. The speed of that blow whizzing by felt like it burned.

Seto smirked.

Her eyes narrowed and she stood up straight. "So that's how you want to play, hmm? Fair enough."

"Fair?" he retorted menacingly. "Thisfight was never 'fair'. There's no possible way you can beat me."

His body wished to pant for air but he forced himself smooth out his breathing in order to look more calm and collected than her gasping for air form did. She eyed him scathingly. In slow motion like an old western shoot out, both of them picked up a dodge ball. For one long minutes never of them moved save for the flexing of their fingers over the patterned rubber.

Then without warning both sides fired.

Every spectator cringed.

A tremendous smack sounded and Seto recoiled, landing flat on his back, stars and sparkling blue lights dancing in his vision. Pain erupted from the back of his head and all the air rushed out of his lungs in one big burst.

Winded, coughing, and slightly concussed, Seto sat up, feeling the now sharp throbbing in his jaw. He flinched, brushing it off as a hiss of course. His finely manicured fingertips brushed over the spot where he had been clocked with a dodge ball. A loud smack of skin meeting rubber matt floor signaled that his rival had met the same fate.

She looked just as stunned.

Her chest rose and fell, pupil dilated and desperately trying to focus. Her ember hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, the flaming orange a tinge darker. Blood trained down from her nose and her fingers blotted the red liquid, shocked at first and then increasingly angry.

"Who won?" she barked at the audience who was silent with reverence. "I said, who won?!"

"I-it was a tie," someone finally answered after picking their jaw up off the floor.

Seto snarled and in unison they roared, "A tie?!"

She clambered up, wiping the blood from her nose.

"I won't settle for such a despicable outcome," Seto said with so much venom, it made a king cobra look like a cuddly pet.

"Don't get your panties in a bunch I wasn't about to let it stay that way. I demand a rematch, right here, right now!"

"You read my mind," he returned coolly.

Barking out a laugh she smirked. "No, if I was reading your mind all I'd hear is elevator music." She ran a hand through her hair, making it spike up. "I hope you'll last longer this round. Nobody likes a man with short endurance."

If all the jaws hadn't fallen open they sure had now.

Seto grabbed one of the rubber balls so hard it threaten to pop right in his palm. She to picked up another and raised it above her head. Shakily the coaches raised their whistles to their lips and took a quivering breath.

The gym doors slammed open.

"Colby?" the red head gasped.

Seto turned.

This "Colby" was a huge, burly man who looked like a gang leader escaped from jail. His wild mane of blond hair was tied back and just barely Seto made out the shape of a gold tooth with a skull imprinted in it. He held out a towel to the girl and began speaking to her in what he recognized as English but with a heavy Australian accent.

"You didn't come home, your father's completely knackered over worry'n about you."

"Oh, alright, my bag is over there. Let me dry off first."

Seto's eyebrow's furrowed. "You're leaving?" Everyone's heads snapped in his direction. Only one or two of them besides him knew English and he was probably translating for the rest.

"Duty calls" she replied, drying her face off with the towel. "We can finish this later."

"Coward!"

Colby stomped forward. "Do one's lolly, why don'tcha? Nicker off, ya drongo! Miss Taylor issnt no bloody coward!"

It was safe to say Seto didn't understand a single word of that.

"I would have figured you of all people understand that business comes first. I promise you though that we will finish this match." She pulled her jacket on and slung her bag over her shoulder. Seto continued to stare at her in confusion.

Pausing at the door, she turned back. "Oh and by the way, he said not to lose your temper and to piss off, stupid."

After a minute of awkward silence Wheeler spoke up, voice cracking. "Wow."

* * *

"Hey big brother." Mokuba's warm face coaxed the busy CEO's mind away from his disaster of a day. His hand ruffled the messy black locks affectionately as the smaller Kaiba clambered into the fancy car. But the young teen instantly saw the flustered look on his brother's face and the bruise.

"What happened?!" he demanded.

"Nothing important-"

"It's so not nothing important! You're lip's busted!" the smaller of the two cried indignantly. His frown melted into a pout and he asked again with a softer voice. "Seto, what happened?"

Oh no, not the puppy dog eyes, Seto mentally groaned sullenly directing his gaze out the window. Hmm, there was a car crash up ahead. Because of said wreckage the fancy Mercedes-Benz rolled to a stop trapping him in the non-stop onslaught of questions.

"Alright!" he finally caved, for peace if not for his sanity. "I got into a bit of a mess during gym today. We played dodge ball and I got hit. Of course, not before getting everyone else," he added with a smug smirk.

Everyone but one, his mind added tauntingly, and a girl at that. His grip doubled on the steering wheel.

Seto looked across to the passengers seat when Mokuba made no more protests. His brother studied him like he had just jumped up and done the hula right in the middle of traffic.

"What?"

"**_You_** participated in **_gym_**?" he asked disbelievingly. "And not just that, but you played **_dodge ball_**?!Yeah," he scoffed, "and Kuriboh can beat Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

"I did" he defended, "It was this . . ." Hmm, how to put this without sounding like a complete moron. "This horridly annoying person got on my nerves, so I showed her how it's done."

Oops.

"You beat up a _girl_?!"

Damage control time. "I didn't beat her up . . . exactly. She was just as violent!"

Mokuba shook his head. "Seto, Seto, Seto . . ."

The CEO snorted, thankful that traffic had started to move again. The last thing he needed right now was a "talking to" by his little brother.

The Kaiba Manor was hushed and sullen like always as the two masters returned home, handing their coats and leaving their shoes to the maids. Dinner had been prepared by the cooks; fancy and absolutely delectable dishes all prepared to perfection. Seto wouldn't eat them otherwise.

Mokuba was already at the table by the time his older brother managed to meander his way there, shifting through some mail and loose office papers he mentally noted to file later.

"Bill, bill, advertisement . . . Mary, I thought I told you to cancel this one. Dinner invitation . . ."

"Hey, Seto," Mokuba smiled through devouring his chicken. "Guess what our class is doing!"

"What?" His older brother asked, not looking up from his newspaper.

"We're starting a recycling program. The goal is to recycle enough plastic, paper and metal to build a playground for the less fortunate part of downtown. Isn't that cool?"

"Mhm."

Mokuba shifted in his seat. "Do you think...?"

"Think what?" Seto asked curiously.

"I was just wondering, you know, if we could sort through our recyclables..."

Seto shrugged, returning to his paper. "You can asked the maids if you want, I highly doubt our output will help much. But go ahead if you want."

Mokuba fell silent, pushing his food around his plate around his plate for several minutes before changing the subject. "Oh hey, we had this guy come today. He told us about how we could save over a million trees just by using recycled paper. And then we got to watch a movie about this huge forest called The Tiger that wraps pretty much all the way around the Earth, around the edges of the north pole. There are so many trees there that they actually change the atmosphere!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah," Mokuba continued in awe. "Next week we get to learn about tigers. Miss Roberts says it's about all the different types." He paused, chewing on a carrot. "There was this picture I saw in our textbook of one. It was called a Bengal Tiger. They're _so_ cool..."

Seto listened on and off as he continued to chat about what he'd researched on his own about tigers. His own attention was taken by the stock numbers on the black and white page in his hand. Kaiba Corp. stock had dropped again. Not a good sign. He set down the paper, brows furrowed.

"Um... Seto?" Mokuba called, setting down his fork.

"Yes?" Seto answered, gazing over his mashed potatoes.

Pause. "Big brother, if something was . . . wrong, would you tell me?"

Seto raised an eyebrow. "Of course I would, why?"

"Well it's just that . . . you know how you've never had a girlfriend before?"

Seto gasped and sputtered, doubling down and heaving a cough having just inhaled half his coffee.

"M-Mokuba!"

"I'm curious is all" the younger of the two explained hastily to his red faced elder. "You've never had an interest in girls or dating or even seem to have any kind of hormone like a regular teenager! You really should get yourself a girlfriend, Seto."

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't have time for a girlfriend, Mokuba," he said firmly. "And that's the truth!" he added seeing his little brother opening his mouth to interject something else. "Now go do your homework or turn your brain to mush with those video games you play or something."

Mokuba shrugged, standing up. "'Kay. By the way I have a date tomorrow night. Just thought you'd like to know."

Blue eyes broadened. But before he could say anything black hair vanished from the elegantly furbished dinning hall.

"Mr. Kaiba, Dr. Taylor of WLS has just called and said there is time for a meeting tomorrow, like you requested, sir," said a maid as she picked up his only half eaten plate and used silver utensils.

"Alright," he said gruffly, pushing back his chair. "Get this cleaned up, I'll be in my office. Make sure that I'm not disturbed."

"Yes, sir."

Lights flickered on from rooms Seto knew Mokuba had visited; he had a bad habit of leaving them on even after finished whatever he was doing. Seto paused, looking into an empty computer lab, noticing the computers screens still bright with life. Electricity cost money. His hand had lifted to flick the switch when the more arrogant side of his ego stopped him.

It wasn't like he couldn't afford it.

"The maids can get it," he muttered to himself.

The low rumblings of the central heating system groaned to life and as Seto opened his bedroom door to grab some papers mentally noted that it needed to be replaced. Honestly, how was the world's greatest dueling mastermind, gaming chief executive officer and all around smartest man in the world supposed to work with that kind of noise?

"So Dr. Taylor has finally decided to see me, hmmm?" He plucked the note with a number and address from his large mahogany desk and studied it with a victorious smirk.

Kaiba Corp has been under siege since some trashy tabloid grade scandals broke out. Criticism was something he was used to, but having been branded Japan's "Too Young, Too Powerful" CEO it was time to stamp out the rumors and step up the image shiner. And this Dr. Taylor was the way to do it.

Seto glided smoothly into his comfy desk chair and spun it to the right so he could look over the back yard of his estate where servants and gardeners scurried about making sure that not a petal was out of place.

This Dr. didn't sound like a challenge at all, he thought with a pity filled smirk, he would have liked a little resistance before he handed him up to reality on a silver platter. A man who ran an organization like Wild Life Shield, WLS for short, couldn't be a man of nerve. All this Dr. cared about was protecting some Brazilian mongoose or something or the sort, he probably wasn't very opinionated, and if Seto had to picture him, he'd imagine some small, mousy haired, bi-speckled shell of a human being.

Flicking on his computer, the sapphire-eyed dragon grinned wickedly, tucking the small piece of paper into his pocket.

"Tomorrow is going to be a piece of cake."

* * *

"We've arrive, Mr. Kaiba."

Seto waved off his driver, his version of a thank you, as he stepped from the fancy car. It wasn't that he couldn't drive himself, but this way made him look just that much more intimidating. Straitening his expensive dark blue suit he picked up his briefcase and started on his way, frowning a bit when no one opened the door for him.

The building, he noted, felt like a butterfly exhibit. Hot and stuffy, humid and hard to breath were the thoughts that ran through his head first. Thankfully an old secretary was there to take him to his destination.

The elevator stunk. That much he was sure of. Nobody else seemed to notice. But then again nobody in this place really seemed normal. The elevator stopped a few times, each stop accompanied by odd sounds or someone carrying something he'd never seen before and never wanted to see again for that matter. A young man, whose arms had obviously seen better days, actually came in wearing a snake wrapped around his forearm. Suddenly Seto found himself acutely aware of how much he hated snakes.

"She's a ball python," the man said in a loving tone like he was holding a lovable puppy.

Seto gave him a nod of notice. Couldn't this elevator go any faster?!

Finally after what seemed like an eternity the wonderful sound of the bell dinged and the doors opened making the CEO want to run out an thank his lucky stars, however he of course stepped out coolly. But in a brisk walk nevertheless.

The top floor was rather plain in his opinion. The walls a default beige and waist height trimming all the way down the hall, matching the secretary's desk. There were plenty of pictures and paintings all of varying types of animals with a name and date elegantly painted at the bottom. What kind of ninny was this man if he cared so much about animals?

"Jacob, why don't you take Angel in to see Dr. Taylor, I'm sure she'd be very happy to know the surgery was a success," said the secretary.

"Right," snake boy answered. He walked down the hall turned to the third door on the left and knocked once or twice before letting himself in.

"Oh, Jacob- and Angel! Hey sweetheart, you must be feeling so much better now that we go those nasty pills out of you," purred an all too familiar female voice.

It took Seto a moment to figure it out.

"A woman?" He stormed down the hall, completely ignoring the pleading of the secretary. He had to know.

And there she was, with that gut twisting carrot colored orange hair and russet colored eyes. The girl who'd busted his lip.

"You!" he snarled.

"Me," Jordan smiled smugly. "I'm Dr. Jordan Taylor, pleased to meet you Mr. Kaiba."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.**

* * *

"I'm Dr. Jordan Taylor, pleased to meet you Mr. Kaiba."

Dumbstruck, that's all that could describe his expression. Broad azure eyes stared at her in horrified awe, begging the universe that it wasn't true. It was rather gratifying to see such a powerful CEO barely able to contain his shock.

Jordan continued to sit behind her desk, casually stroking the top of Angel, the ball python's head.

"This is a joke," he finally said, "There's no way a brat like you is the Dr. Taylor I have a meeting with!"

Jordan stood. Angel's tongue hissed, tasting the air for the mice she knew were in the tank to the right. She squeezed her wrist with anticipation, not enough to hurt but enough to leave a red mark.

Was it just her, or did Kaiba flinch? He seemed to be eyeing her cautiously enough.

A smirk turned up the corners of her pretty mouth.

"Not a snake fan, Mr. Kaiba?"

His face froze and rewound, turning back into that icy glacier cold glare and he squared his shoulders bravely.

"What does it matter?" he returned venomously.

"Oh it matters a great deal," she replied. She raised the scaly creature up so that she was eye level with it. "She's a rescue from Cuba. She, like many others were being used to traffic drugs into Miami. Almost died of an overdose. If you haven't already noticed several of our floors are dedicated to special cases. There's a team of expert animal surgeons that have been hand picked by my father."

She sighed sadly, handing her back over to Jacob before leaning over the large tank and picked up a mouse, setting it in a cardboard container.

"Make sure that when those stitches heal she gets my gift."

The young man nodded, carefully taking the snake and bowing slightly. "Yes, ma'am."

The door closed quietly behind him.

"So Mr. Kaiba," Jordan said, "Would you please explain why you're here? I am a busy person and I have better things to do."

Seto glared. Could that tone get any haughtier? Even if she wore a long white lab coat and had exchanged her small school uniform for a nice pair of black pants and a navy blue sweater she still looked like a snotty teenage girl. Her panda earrings still hung from her ear but he noticed that she'd removed the studs in order to gain a much more professional appearance. Not that what she was wearing mattered.

"You, have no right to be thinking that you're more important than me" he snarled back, "You're nothing more than a charity case, you need money this little animal rescue to survive and I'm the one with the money so I'll be calling all the shots. Now sit down and sign this."

He slapped the contract on the desk in front of her.

She glared at him in defiance. Picking up the reasonably thick packet of paper she quickly flicked through, frowning at some parts more than others.

Finally she set it down and reached for a pen, but stopped before she signed it.

"You worded this rather delicately didn't you? Leaving yourself plenty of loop holes."

Amused azure eyes glared at her with a self-satisfied smirk like a hawk circling a defenseless baby chick stuck between a rock and a gorge.

It was either jump or be eaten.

Obviously she saw the ultimatum to, and was none too pleased.

"What is this investment to you?" Jordan voiced suddenly.

The baby chick had decided neither; it wanted to talk to the hawk.

Now that caught him off guard but he be damned if he showed it.

"Business is business" he brushed off. "This is no different."

"I meant personally," she interrupted.

"Personally?" he couldn't catch himself before he said that, which irked him more than the fact that she'd interrupted.

He shrugged, "WLS does research on how to minimize peoples impact on the environment, I know you're partnered with Green Peace and the World Wildlife Fund to help protect varies species and ecosystems. To me, personally though," Suddenly his eyes narrowed and his voice turned cold. "You're just a bunch of tree huggers that I plan to use you to gain back some reputation for Kaiba Corp. Nothing more."

He saw her jaw set and fists clench by her sides. All of a sudden in one fell swoop the contract was in the trashcan.

The baby chick was fighting back.

"Don't you have even one fiber of compassion in that stone heart of yours?!" she roared, "How dare you come in here, demanding my life's work on a silver platter and then have the gall to tell me that all I've ever worked for has no use except to further your deceitfulness in society!"

Her hand swung but stopped short of coming in contact with his face. His fingers caught and closed sharply around her wrist like a vice, a dry sneer upon his face.

"You'd go so far as to hit me? The man who holds your financial future with WLS?"

Her eyes grew wide.

"That's right," he replied to her shocked and angry expression. "I know what's happening. Governments are charging more and more to put up wildlife preserves because of the demands for raw goods like forests and water and fossil fuels, and you can't keep up with the demands, can you?"

He felt her body flex, trying to pull away. He smirked.

"Now you will sit down and sign that contract or do I really have to get angry?"

To emphasize his point he yanked her hard so that her body came crashing into his. She stumbled, not expecting the sudden move and he caught her other hand. She glared at him, giving a firm tug to which he resisted.

"Unhand me, Mr. Kaiba, I don't like shedding blood but if needs be I will happily oblige," she hissed scathingly.

Suddenly something he least expected happened. A large ham like hand grabbed a fistful of his expensive Armani suit collar and hauled him up until he was almost off the floor. Flailing about, Seto quickly stopped, realizing who he'd just provoked.

"Well I reckon someone's in for a lot 'hurtn!" Colby's booming voice growled over his shoulder.

Seto looked back in horror.

"Don'ts you be worry'n Miss Taylor, I'll give him a good wallopin'"

Seto jerked his head back towards the red head. "You kick me out and you'll never get so much as a penny from me or any other possible donator in Japan!"

For a moment she studied him and for a split second he honestly thought she was going to let him get dragged away.

"Let him go, Colby." Every word sounded like it had been strangled and severed from the very bottom reaches of her soul.

Grudgingly the large brute of a personal bodyguard/personal assistant released him.

Seto straightened out his jacket, smirking a jeer at the Australian ogre, but taking an extra step away, just to be safe.

Jordan sighed as she sat in her chair, deflating her pride and reaching into the waste paper basket to retrieve the contract she oh so dreaded. Gingerly she cradled a pen between her fingers and paused one last time before pressing the tip to the parchment, it's black, inerasable ink onto the paper-

"Dr. Taylor, your father is on line 1," echoed her secretary's voice through the intercom, "It's about Zahra."

Jordan's head shot up, as did Colby's, brown eyes wide as dinner plates. Her hand shot to the phone and she pressed it to her ear; Seto could actually see her holding her breath.

After about a minute and several "Mhms" and nods she said a short goodbye and looks up with fierce fire lighting within her russet orbs.

Colby took a half a step forward. "Miss Taylor . . .?"

Jordan grinned, "They found her."

All of a sudden she was out the door, Colby right behind, issuing out orders and leaving the abandoned contract forgotten. But Seto Kaiba did not give up. His long strides quickly matched hers but the closer he followed her the more chaotic the once quiet office building slash clinic became.

"I want the Helicopter in the air in 45 minutes! Contact Squad T1, I want them suited up and ready to go in ten tops! Someone get me a phone!"

The brunette CEO found himself being almost trampled as people scurried about answering all her orders without question and more still bringing her a heavy looking earthy green vest like the ones armies used, with the chest and sides, even the back covered with pockets and other things, and a headset like contraption.

Jordan punched several numbers into the small keypad by her belt and waited for the satellites to connect her with a very special person. Turning sharply she didn't expect to come nose to nose with Kaiba Corp.'s head honcho.

"Why are you still here?" she asked, slightly impressed that he could keep up with her jog.

"I'm not leaving until you sign this!" he snarled back, waving the paper fruitlessly.

They turned down another hallway and up several flights of stairs until they came to the roof.

Seto's mouth fell open when he saw what was up there. A team of about six people including Colby, all cloaked in armor and the latest in camouflage technology were working in a chain to move heavy titanium boxes into one strange looking piece of aerodynamics. It looked like a hybrid between a helicopter and a plane. He'd heard of these but hade never seen one up close and personal. Right now the blades were pointed up, like a helicopter but once in the air he knew they would fold down and become like airplane propellers. Large orange stripes zigzagged up and down the metal and painted on teeth grinned against the front. On the side the letters WLS was painted.

"Eric Donolov," Jordan called. One of the men with a red armband snapped to attention, coming up and saluting her before giving her a sturdy grin.

"Ma'am," he answered. His dark blue eyes looked to Seto. "And . . .?"

Seto opened his mouth but was cut off before he could even start much to his displeasure.

"He's just business." Jordan waved off, "I want a status report."

"Everything's packed in, we have supplies for two months and basic medical equipment," he answered to her like a private talking to a veteran general. "Tracking systems are tested and ready to go as are the navigations and all other likewise equipment."

Jordan nodded. "Then I want everyone in and strapped down. I hope you've signed your wills and said goodbye to your dog because we're moving out!" She started walking away.

Seto glared, catching her wrist. "Where do you think you're going?" His voice rose to a roar as the propellers started to whirl, splaying his once neat chocolate locks and sending his tie flapping over his shoulder.

"As you can see, Mr. Kaiba" he voice just as loud. "I'm very busy with something much more important than some silly contract. I'll deal with you when I get back!"

"How long will you be gone?" he questioned, still not letting go.

"I'm sure you heard Eric's assessment, two months at least. I can't say how long exactly, two months, maybe three- OW!"

His hand clenched angrily, no doubt leaving a bruise on her creamy freckled skin. That wasn't good enough! He needed this signed and he needed it signed _**now!**_

"I'm coming with you!" he barked.

Her eyes broadened, then snapped to slits as she narrowed them. "No you're not!"

"Then if you leave don't expect to come back to a city and charity that wants you!"

She paused at the threat. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh I'd dare and I'll do you one better by promising you that I will buy this pathetic waste of money and turn it into your worst nightmare" he answered.

She ground her teeth for a long minute. Her breath came out in a huff. "Fine. Eric!"

The young man turned. "Yes ma'am?"

"Get Mr. Kaiba suited up with the extras and get him on bored. For the time being he's one of us."

Gods did she want to push him off the roof. She could see the surprise in Eric's eyes as he hesitated helping up another member.

"Ma'am . . ?"

"Just do it!" she snapped.

Seto smirked. He always got his way, one way or another.

Eric hissed something into the mic attached to his helmet and Seto saw several other faces fight to get a look out the small porthole windows of the aircraft. What he didn't expect was to be roughly shoved around as Eric strapped him into a vest. They were surprisingly heavy!

"Alright Rookie, get in!"

Seto snorted at the term, climbing into the helicopter.

The space was cramped and bare with nothing but the naked metal bolts and such to decorate it. A couple of painted maps colored the fuselage but that was it. Nothing more other than the people all strapped in against the sides. Seto sat down and buckled in, right next to Jordan. Sure, it was the only seat left, but the satisfaction he got from watching her squirm was priceless.

"So Rookie, this your first time in a plane?" Asked the one directly across from him. He was another young man, with hard hazel eyes and a single curly lock of jet-black hair dancing over his left eye.

Seto held his gaze in defiance. The question was a jeer. "I've built plenty of aircrafts, and hand built my own personal jet," he returned coldly.

Instead of being in awe, like most people he told this to, the member snickered, as did the entire team of Squad T1.

"Kale," Jordan chastised, trying to keep up that leadership demeanor even if she was struggling to hide her own smirk.

"Sorry ma'am," he apologized. Seto crossed his arms; he sounded anything but sorry.

The helicopter rumbled and shook terribly as it ascended into the skies of Domino.

Still his Armani business suit and nice leather dress shoes, Seto elbowed the so-called Dr. Taylor and asked rather casually.

"Where are we going?"

She replied, "The Himalayas."

He went white as a sheet.

What the hell had he gotten himself into?

* * *

Seto Kaiba awoke to the rough shaking of his shoulder. Sitting up, he held back a groan. Sitting like that, with his head leaning down and chin resting against his collarbone had left his stiff and sore not to mention the sharp, bright light invading his vision was burning his eyes. Another thing was that the second he looked up he realized a pair of slender hands were still resting on his shoulders. For a split second he thought that everything that had happened before had been just a dream, more like nightmare, and he was being awoken by one of his maids.

"G'morning sweet thang" said a female voice.

Seto looked up. A beautiful sight met his eyes. He'd seen plenty of supermodel class daughters at business parties but this one took the cake. She had shoulder length strawberry blond hair that he knew if it hadn't have been tied back into a French braid that would have framed her face and two stunning blue eyes perfectly. She was petite to, not like that noisy, anger inducing red head.

"Oi, Kaiba!"

Speak of the devil.

"What?" he snarled scathingly.

Jordan eyed him, silently seething, running her tongue along her teeth as if to wipe away and swallow the sneer rising in her throat. She jerked her head back, motioning him to join the rest of Squad T1 who were huddled around several papers, a laptop and a map splayed on the floor. Another thing Seto noticed was that everyone's backpack was slightly bulkier than before and strap like harnesses snaked around their thighs and chests. He raised an eyebrow.

"We're deciding on your pair," Jordan said, gesturing once again that he'd better move closer.

Why did it feel like he was walking into a trap?

The brunette CEO scooted closer, gracefully of course but not quite close enough that the circle the team had created was broken slightly by him.

"A pair, for what?"

His question got him half a dozen wide, cat like grins. Little mental red flags when up in his mind but he couldn't figure out why.

Suddenly the cockpit door slid open and the co-pilot said something in an unrecognizable language. It looked as though the rest of them didn't know what the man and Jordan were chattering away about either, waiting eagerly for the translation.

After a few minutes of chit chat back and forth, the co-pilot returned to the cockpit and Jordan turned around, hands on her hips. Or at least where Seto figure to be her hips, it was hard to tell under the bulk of the gear.

"So boss" Kale asked a playful grin on his handsome, tanned features, "Do we have the go ahead?"

Jordan once again consulted her maps and checked something that looked like a large watch on her wrist and then gave a thumbs up.

"We're at 6000 feet, the wind speed looks good according to the pilot and we're over the base camp. We're good to roll."

The team cheered.

"What am I being paired for?" Seto barked again, more than a little annoyed that he'd been ignored.

"For the jump," Eric replied calmly.

All of a sudden everything clicked. Those bulky backpacks weren't for storing things, they were _parachutes_.

"We're going to jump down?" Seto asked, paling considerably. It took everything he had not to show the shock or quiver in his voice.

"Yes," Jordan answered shortly.

There was a holler from the cockpit and she nodded, grabbing a helmet.

"Colby you take Kaiba. Eric you check Robin, Kale, check Nathan and I'll be checking with Phoenix."

The aircraft clinked and clanked with hustle bustle as everyone got with their collective partners and examined each other's buckles, zips and knots.

"Um, boss" Kale pardoned, tapping the red head's shoulder.

Jordan looked to the side where the powerful CEO was gazing unseeingly out the window, his clean complexion turning a delicate shade of olive green. She felt almost sorry for him.

"It's your fault you know," she said in a hushed voice, saving him from the embarrassment of having the whole team laugh at him, though in her opinion he didn't deserve her kindness.

"Screw off," he hissed back gruffly.

Point proven.

"Well if you hadn't been such an egotistical block head you wouldn't be here right now," she continued. In a softer, albeit begrudgingly tone, she whispered, "Don't worry, Colby's done this a million times, there's nothing to be scared about."

"I'm not scared!" Seto snapped.

"Well that's good," boomed Colby. The giant bulk of a man once again proved his strength by picking up Seto by the collar of his vest like a lion did its cub, and set him down on his feet. Seto grabbed a handle along the ceiling. His mind was coming to terms but his body refused to let him throw himself out the side of a plane thousands of feet about the ground. It just wasn't right!

Jordan noted his knuckles turn white and his sapphire eyes return to staring out the window at the forests below. With a sigh she called Robin who was finishing her evaluation of Eric's rig.

"Think you could give him a little something to calm him down?" she asked.

Squad T1's medical doctor giggled behind her hand as she dug through her bag of medical supplies. She pulled out a needle and a small vile of a clear liquid.

"On three . . ."

Outside the warmly colored jungles below dotted only with a handful of wispy clouds dotting the horizon and above it all the Himalayan Mountains towered over everything. The suns golden orange rays had just peaked over the snowy white summits. It was stunning. Unfortunately the beauty that Mother Nature had spent millions of years building didn't take his mind off his current problem at hand. Seto didn't know what to do, throw up or pass out. He managed a small mental smirk. If he did the first he'd make sure to hit that bothersome red head.

What was he supposed to do? With a horrible sinking feeling he thought of Mokuba and how worried his little brother must be. Kaiba Corp was probably in shambles, geared in apocalyptic mode because their boss had gone missing. Oh what a headache that was going to be to clean up.

"Hey rookie."

Seto turned around. "Wha-OOF!"

Out of nowhere he found himself being body checked into the side, Kale and Eric pinning his arms at his sides while Jordan used her body, flushed with his, to pin down the bulk of his body.

"Don't worry sweetheart, you won't feel a thing I promise," Robin smiled sweetly as she stepped closer with a rubber-gloved hand and a needle she was spurting into the air, making sure of the right dosage and to get all the air out. Seto's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates and the steady color of green he had been turning sharply paled to a starch white.

"What the hell do you think you're- YEOW!"

A sharp sting in his thigh and slowly the world began to get blurry; the pressure of the bodies released him but Seto found he couldn't really hold himself up.

"What did you do . . . to me?" Seto cursed himself. His words smeared and slurred greatly thanks to whatever drug was now in his system.

"Just a little something to get those nasty jitters out of ya."

Finally Colby came through and picked him up. Seto's cloudy mind registered the sounds and feeling of having his harness put on and tightened then attached to the Aussie ogre as he so delightfully referred to the bodyguard.

Up ahead the side door was opened filling the space with howling winds and the deafening whistling of the helicopter/plane blades.

A helmet was crammed on his head and Seto had just enough sense left to pull down the goggles just like everyone else.

"I wanna go first!" Kale grinned over the loudness.

"Fine" Jordan roared back, "But steer clear of the trees this time! We don't need a repeat of last time!"

Kale stuck out his tongue and with a "Yahooooo!" he leapt out.

That sickening, stomach twisting, gut wrenching feeling came back as Seto watched Kale's body, now a small speck fall towards Earth.

"Show off!" Eric yelled, jumping next.

Robin followed then Nathan, and a man who Seto assumed was Phoenix, smirked back, hand on the doorframe.

"Don't worry, buddy, if your chute doesn't open we'll just look for a you shaped hole in the ground."

Jordan smacked him upside the head, pointing outside. "Oh just jump!"

Phoenix flashed her a grin, disappearing like all the others into the wild blue yonder.

Jordan turned to the final pair. "Relax, just do what Colby's body does and don't flail around, you'll be fine! See you on the ground!"

At the point Seto was all but hyperventilating.

Fine?! _Fine_?!?! How was it **_FINE_** to be jumping out of something that every fiber of your common sense was telling you not to?!

"Alright pretty boy it's just us left."

Seto tried desperately to dig his heels into the metal flooring, knees locking as he shook his head, trying to clear himself of the drug-induced haze.

"This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This is just a really bad dream . . ."

Wind blustered around his face as he stood on the precipice.

"Here we go!"

_Oh hell noooooooooooooooooo!!!_'

As far as remembering, Seto felt a tad ripped off. It was the only time he had and ever would jump from this high and all he could catch was pieces, flashes of his experience.

He had the drugs and that God awful red head to thank for that no doubt.

He did however remember quite well the feeling of all his nerves jumping to the back of his body and the wind being cruelly cold. Beneath the thunderous howling of the wind all he could hear was his constant hyperactive heartbeat thumping ten times its normal speed.

Ten seconds.

The position he had fallen into felt almost _comfortable_.

With his body hurtling towards Earth at over 150 miles per hour the air had gently pushed against his chest like an invisible mattress. Colby had taken possession of his wrist and was holding them out to the sides and through the headset mentioning something about arching his back.

Twenty seconds.

What a spectacular view. The thought had run across his mind in and out several times like a fuzzy news bulletin. He could see to the horizon in every direction, right to where the world started to curve. If only those historical philosophers could see what he was seeing, they never would have said it was flat. The blue sky and so few clouds, and the famous mountain ridge. Absolutely incredible.

Thirty seconds.

Jordan's annoying voice crackled in his ears. The "ten-second warning"? No, not something he was familiar with. Oh that meant the time until the chutes would open? Ah, Kale's already deployed his. Seto's eyes followed the deep blue rectangle as it glided smoothly over the tops of the trees . . . right over a heard of elephants?!

Forty seconds.

Before Seto could even look twice at the gargantuan creatures Colby let go of his wrists and pulled a long cord that had a hacky-sack connected to the end. With a loud rustling the parachute shot upwards into the sky. The force of the chute opening cause them both to jerk back, making the inexperience CEO's limbs to snap forward like a rag doll's.

Several treetops skimmed the bottom of his feet. Seto pulled up his soles, not wanting to get caught and mangled in the jungle canopy. He wondered if they were even going to make it to the small clearing up ahead.

"Easy, boy, you'll set us off balance," Colby's gruff voice barked.

Seto swallowed. Lower and lower they drifted, Colby manipulating the parachute expertly, but to Seto it wasn't close enough.

"Ah, here they come!" Eric said, holding his hand above his eyes to block out the light.

Jordan looked up from undoing her harness. "Wow, he doesn't look too good."

Kale made to laugh out a joke but squinting at the final two to land all he could say was, "He looks downright green!"

As the pair touched down with a gentle thud, Jordan took several steps towards the two, Robin hot on her heels. Colby disconnected them and the brunette took a shaky step away, sapphire eyes unfocused and his pristine hair sweaty and messed as Robin pulled off the helmet.

Seto looked up, turned away. . .

. . .and promptly threw up.

* * *

**Okay, this was all requested by some of my readers on a different site that I post everything up here. That's excuse #1 why nothing's particularly clean grammar or spelling wise. Exuse #2 I don't have a beta, no matter how much I wish I did at the moment. Double sorry about that D: Anyways you (and you know who you are) can stop flooding my e-mail with angry notes lol Nah jk, those are still fun to read.**

**To any new readers I'm glad to have you aboard and I hope you liked it. If you want to review please be my guest :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.**

* * *

"Alright everyone, gather round. We're going to be serving dinner and explaining the situation." Jordan called. Everyone shuffled outside.

This. Could. Not. Get. Any. Worse.

Seto held tight to his blackberry, pressing the top to his forehead in utter defeat, the grey screen blinking out of range.

He sat on a scratchy wool cot inside the medical tent where he had remained for most of the day to escape the 37 degree Celsius temperature and the remaining effects of the drugs.

"Come'n, sweet thang?" Robin cheerfully chirped, pushing the tent flap to the side and poking her head in. "We're having dinner and I'm sure you're hungry after today."

Seto glared at her, tucked the technical device away and stood, the top of his head brushing the tarp roof.

Outside everyone had gathered around a small sized campfire, some snacking on some sort of soup in a Styrofoam bowl. Decidedly, the CEO took a spot on the grassy ground, out of arms reach from the others. Seto looked at his bowl oddly as Nathan handed him one and a water bottle.

"Isn't Styrofoam one of the most harmful man made products to the environment?" he asked haughtily.

Kale, who had already finished his dinner and eyeing Eric's remaining slurps, looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, boss, I thought you said he didn't give a rats patookie about the non-corporate world."

Jordan shrugged. "He has his moments."

Phoenix snickered with laughter.

Seto on the other hand snorted sourly, glaring at her through the flames and she happily returned the gesture.

"Well that is true," Eric said, "About Styrofoam I mean. It is a very harmful thing. But this isn't normal Styrofoam; it's edible. It's stops us from polluting as badly. Some coffee shops in New York use them to- Kale, I'm not giving you any so back off!"

"But the rations are small because the rookie had to tag along!" Kale whimpered, clutching his stomach dramatically.

"Kale, you're a grown man for God's sake! Stop whining!"

"Edible?" Seto echoed over the arguing, curious to how someone could make something so un-edible look good.

"Mhm" answered Robin, "It tastes like dried pasta really, or to me anyway. Anyhoo eat up, your body's goin' to need it for tomorrow."

Seto looked down at the mixture of . . . well he didn't know quite what it was. Some of the chunks looked kinda like vegetables but he didn't exactly like the prospect of putting it in his mouth to find out the answer.

"What's in it?"

"Whoa, there rookie, don't ask that question!" Kale cut off. "When I joined the team I asked and the boss told me and now I really wished I hadn't asked!"

"Yet you still eat it," Eric added dryly. Kale grinned.

Seto felt a hand pat his shoulder.

Nathan smiled at him. " I had a hard time getting used to it to when I joined a year ago. It's a mix full of all the things your body needs to take the long hiking tomorrow. "

Once again Seto contemplated the sludge like mix.

"Com' on pretty boy, it ain't all steak and tarts but you'll need it," Colby boomed.

Seto glared at him and then at Jordan who was smirking, knowing if he didn't eat it he wasn't going to last the morning. Holding it up to his lips he slurped it up, out of spite if nothing else.

Jordan's, and just about everyone's eyebrows disappeared into their bangs.

"Ahaha! Way ta go rookie!" Kale cheered. "Finished it all in one go to!"

Sputtering, Seto coughed and hacked into his knees. "I-it's _**disgusting**_!"

" 'Said it was good for ya, never said ya'd like it" Colby chuckled.

Kale and Phoenix wrapped an arm around each other's shoulders and snickered. "Slimy, yet satisfying."

Eric wasn't the only one to roll his eyes. "You still watch those Disney movies? Why does that not surprise me?"

"Hey, Hakuna Matata," Kale smiled, tossing a piece of edible Styrofoam bowl into his mouth, and brushed that permanent dark curly lock of hair away from his face even though it fell right back into place.

"I like Snow White personally" sighed Robin breathlessly. "Such a dashing prince charming."

All the men rolled their eyes. '_Girls_.'

And then it hit him; suddenly Seto realized he was in the middle of the jungle, with half a dozen people he didn't like, deciding on Disney movie preferences. How sick was that?

"Now that we've talked about completely useless information" Jordan snipped, in an attempt to bring the maturity level up a bit. "I'd like to talk about why we're here and what we need to do."

Instantly the group settled down, much to Seto's surprise.

"Well by the speed you got us out here it must be important" Eric said seriously.

Jordan nodded. "True. It seems one of the locals spotted Zahra."

Loud whooping and cheering interrupted her speech.

"Who's this "_Zahra_" I keep hearing about?" Seto interrupted. It was a strange new feeling to not be in complete control of his surroundings and he didn't like it, not one bit.

Speaking of new feelings, an odd look flooded the red head's eyes, fogging them up for several moments until she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

"She is a very special tiger."

"You put off signing my contract, force me to follow you all the way out here and all because of a cat?" His tone got colder with every syllable.

"While the tiger is part of the cat family, saying we came out here in search of a "cat" would be incorrect" said Nathan knowledgeably. "A _"Panthera Tigris Bengalensis"_would be the precise answer. They are generally found in Bangladesh and India, but are also known in Nepal, the country we are now bordering on. Panthera Tigris Bengalensis can also be found in Myanmar and Bhutan, and also southern Tibet. The Bengal tiger can weight up to-"

"Thank you, Nathan." Jordan said with a flat tone, with a hint of warning underneath. The young man flushed and looked down mumbling a small sorry for getting carried away.

"As I was saying," Jordan continued, "Zahra is a very special tiger. She has been missing for quite some time. One of the local villages said they have spotted a tigress near here and I won't dare try to blow her cover of safety by making a big deal about it. Whether you know it or not, Mr. Kaiba, you're in a war zone."

The last two words captured his attention immediately. "War zone?"

Squad T1 exchanged solemn glances.

"Poachers" Robin spat with enough malice to melt through the rock she was seated on. Jordan nodded and once again Seto saw her eyes glaze over with that weird look again.

"There are a lot of animals in these parts that are used for traditional medicine, fur or meat," Kale continued. He looked at the last remaining piece of his bowl, face twisted like the Styrofoam was a piece of something he'd rather not think of. "A lot of it though, is just sport hunting."

"Let's just say I am not well liked among those benefiting from the black market," Jordan smiled bitterly.

The conversation lulled into silence save for the cackling of the fire and the absent-minded munching of Kale who was finishing off the bowl Eric had finally given up.

"Um, you know, since Mr. Kaiba is here, he is technically part of the team right?" Nathan brought up timidly.

"Oh!" Robin gasped, clapping her hands together and grinning. "We should do the introductions!"

Jordan who looked lost deep in thought waved her hand airily as if to grant her permission.

Robin's flipped her strawberry blond hair over her shoulder. "My name is Robin Smithers and I'm Squad T1's medical doctor. I've known Jordan since she was a little girl. " Jordan flashed her a glare, and she laughed.

"If we have to introduce him like rookie that means we get to haze him to- Ouch!" Eric elbowed Phoenix sharply in the side. Rolling his eyes he sat up straight.

"I'm Eric Donolov, Left Hand and mechanical engineer specialist."

Kale belched. "Me next!" He cleared his throat.

"Here we go" Eric groaned.

"As you know I'm the wonderful, the magnificent, the always handsome Kale Peitro, but for short you can just call me God." He punctuated the last remark with a dramatic bow and flashy grin. "I'm navigator and arms specialist. Squad T1's been my home for six years which means senoirity rules, kid."

Seto glared and shifted. The idea of this lunatic knowing how to use weapons didn't sit with him well.

"Oh, well I guess I'll go next." Nathan flushed again, foldeding his hands neatly in his lap. "I'm Nathan Judd and I'm the veterinarian for Squad T1."

A familiar and detested ham like hand landed on Seto's shoulder, nearly making him topple sideways from the sudden weight.

"You'd be known' my name already I suppose" Colby remarked, "Colby Gerke, Right Hand an' founding member of Squad T1. You'd best be watchin' out mate, I've also served me 20 years in the army so you'll be keeping yourself straight while around my turf."

Seto glared at him. That was a pretty thinly veiled threat, even for him in front of all these people.

"And last but not least, I'm Phoenix." The young man sitting further in the dark than the others chewing a toothpick sent him a two-finger salute. His hair looked black from where Seto was seated, but the tips were dyed crimson. The CEO expected more but his name was all he gave.

Jordan sighed. "Time to hit the hay everybody. We have a long way to go tomorrow. Mr. Kaiba, you can bunk with the boys. I'll leave you five to work out the arrangement."

"Ta ta!" Robin giggled as she and Jordan stood and made their way into their own tent.

"I get top!" Kale, Phoenix and even Nathan blurted out all at once. A fierce rock, paper, scissors match ensued.

"What's so good about the top bunk?" Seto asked, confused.

"Nobody wants the bottom, because of the bugs," answered Colby.

"And you're the rookie, so as the hazing goes, you're the one on the bottom" smirked Kale.

"We're just deciding who's lucky enough to sleep the furthest away from you. Closest person's gonna go deaf when you scream and I rather like my eardrums" Phoenix snorted smartly.

"What have I said about hazing?!" Jordan's voice barked.

"Ears like a fox, that one," Phoenix grumbled, tossing his toothpick to the dirt. He and Kale stomped off. But Seto had a feeling this was only the start.

"Come on, pretty boy, you can sleep up a level, I'll take the floor." Colby clapped his back in what he must have thought was a gentle pat but almost succeeded in pushing the lanky CEO over.

Seto swore mentally as he slipped into the itchy covers that he would never make another snide remark at anybody if he could sleep soundly without any creepy crawlies tonight. Rolling on his side, Seto flipped open the little card shaped locket around his neck. Mokuba probably thought he had to go to some kind of emergency business meeting and was most likely staying with a friend. It had only been two days, there was no way anyone was out looking for him . . . yet. With a sigh Setoclosed the small door that held his brother's picture and closed his eyes. His mind refused to admit it but his body screamed with exhaustion. Slowly the idea of some six-legged creature crawling around below leaked out of his conscience and his eyelids sank . . .

And promptly snapped wide open.

All of them snored.

* * *

"Put it here! Hahaha!"

"Shhh! Hehehe, he's not gonna know what hit him!"

"Shhh!"

Lazily Seto squinted his eyes open, quickly snapped them shut as the suns first rays burned into his retinas. His body kinked and snapped as he sat up and stretched. What and uncomfortable night, this sure as hell was no Four Seasons Hotel. The tent flaps swayed and he could hear the voices of Phoenix, Kale and Colby chattering away outside deciding on some kind of route or other.

With a silent groan he looked up and saw a neatly folded pile of clothes at the end of his bed and a pair of rough looking boots on the floor. The young CEO ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth before picking of the articles of clothing, contemplating if there was any other way to do this. With a snort he tugged off his tie.

The first thing he pulled on was a thin white undershirt that clung a little to close but he didn't complain. Second he tugged an army green t-shirt over-top. He paused just before undoing the buttons to his pants. Carefully he pulled the card shaped locket over his head. The metal bounced against his chest. As he slipped into the matching green shorts Seto frowned. Being used to rather tight leather pants that left little to the imagination Seto shifted. Something was off. With a shrug he pushed his feet into the hiking boots. At least this was better than having to wear that hot suit, especially in this weather. As he pushed aside the tent door and felt the warm morning breeze brush his face signaling that today was going to be another scorcher if not worse.

Jordan patted down her backpack as she expertly crammed several more items into the top and pulled the drawstring tight before buckling the top flap shut. Before anyone saw she closed Robin's.

It wasn't that Robin couldn't handle the weight but the team needed their doctor in top condition. It was no use if someone got hurt and she was too exhausted to do the patching up properly. That excuse sounded plausible enough.

With a burst of breath Jordan lifted it up and took it outside where the others bags were already packed and waiting. She turned to go back in but an odd sight stopped her in her tracks.

Seto and Jordan's eyes locked.

The CEO raised an eyebrow as her gaze lowered down his body, lingering longer at his thighs than anywhere else. He was even more surprised when the apples of her cheeks deepened into a rosy red. Slowly she leaned back.

"Robin, I think I found what you're looking for!"

The bubbly doctor bounced around the corner. "You found my shorts? I swear I left them on top of my backpack last night-" She froze. "_Oh_ . . . _my_ . . ."

"Who ordered the **CHICKEN LEGS**!!!"

Seto turned sharply to see Kale, Phoenix roaring with laughter.

The CEO turned so red he looked like a radish with hair. Even Robin and Nathan couldn't help but snicker a little though they tried to hide it behind their hands. Jordan snorted.

Grabbing his hand, Jordan dragged him back into the tent, sending a meaningful glare in two in trouble members of Squad T1.

"Here, change into these. They're Colby's but if you use a belt I think they could fit."

Seto took the material. "Go ahead."

"Go ahead what?"

"Go ahead and laugh," he snarled, "It must be _**SO**_ funny to see good old powerful me stuck like this."

For a moment the pair glared at each other, neither willing to give up an inch but then Jordan's eyes softened, only for a mere second, however it was enough to throw the Kaiba off.

"Don't insult me Mr. Kaiba, I view this team seriously and I don't have time to laugh at petty pranks," she said in a business like tone, handing him a worn looking leather belt.

"Besides, before this trip is over you'll lose the chicken legs."

"Hey! I don't have-!" Seto sputtered angrily, face turning red.

Jordan ignored him. "Alright everybody, we've wasted enough time as it is. Let's get these tents down and move out!"

Seto looked down and realized he had been clutching the shorts to his chest. With a mini explosion the so-called 'World Champion' also realized with just more than a little horror, that his enemy had turned him into a wimpy girl.

_'Hmph, I'll show her. I'll show them all! . . . But first I need to get these things on before those morons try something else._

With a nervous glance over his shoulder Seto Kaiba dived head first into an experience he would never forget.

Whether that was ever a good or bad thing he'll never know.

* * *

"Strapped in good?"

Those words never sounded right, whether it was a pimply teen making sure he wasn't about to fly off a ride or more recently the memory of being tossed all willy-nilly out the back of a plane. Those three words should never be used in the same sentence; especially to the brunette rookie who was swaying rather dangerously under the weight of the backpack.

"What's in this?" he more or less panted.

Robin looked up from checking one of the buckles that went around his waist, a smile on her face. He was starting to think it was stuck that way.

"Well there's a bedroll, everyone carries an emergency kit in case you get separated."

Seto gulped.

"And there's also things like a first aid kit. Yours is the lightest, I think Jordan only packed the lighter stuff like the maps and things like that. She always carries the heavier things." The last statement was more of a mumble to herself.

The afterthought made Seto look up.

Further up away Jordan was already stomping her way up a small hill to survey the area, map and compass in hand, not even breaking a sweat despite the enormously heavy looking hiking backpack bound tightly to her back. Even the other boys hadn't worked up the steam to do that yet.

For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off her as he helped Robin get her backpack on. Not because she was pretty, she was from it in his opinion, and not because she noticed his staring and was now looking right back at him with unwavering amber eyes. No, it was because she was a worthy opponent, and even the mighty Seto Kaiba knew when to respect someone for it.

"Make sure you stretch before we really ge'it motorin'" boomed Colby so loudly Seto was sure the brute had to be standing behind him with a megaphone.

"Let's move already!" came Jordan's voice from over the hill.

Seto took a deep breath. He was determined to prove his worth.

The sun had barely risen and it was already smoldering hot, nothing like the nicely air-conditioned wonderland of his office. If sitting his chair behind his desk even with the annoying high-pitched helium voice of his secretary meant somewhere cool and comfy he was willing to pay the price.

"Hey Kaiba-pants, you're gonna get left behind."

Seto looked up and glared at the owner of the voice. "You realize you've just disrupted my daydream, don't you?"

Kale grinned. "Yeah I know, but the boss told me to give you the low down on what to do when you run into an animal."

"Like what?" Seto sneered.

"Like say, a rhino" he replied nonchalantly.

Seto's eyes narrowed. "There are rhinos here in India? I thought they only resided in Africa."

"Nope" Kale responded cheerily, as if they were discussing the statistics of a baseball player and he had proven him wrong.

"The Indian Rhino, a.k.a. the _Great One-Horned Rhinoceros_ parks itself here in India and Nepal. It's the only places to find it really."

Seto clamored ungracefully over a fallen log. "If they're as big as the ones in Africa I'm sure I'll see them before they see me."

"That's not the problem," Kale countered, readjusting the bandanna around his neck. "They could know you're all ready there before you get the chance to know you're in rhino country."

"But rhinoceros have bad eyesight." Seto grunted, nearly tripping over a large root.

"It's not their eyesight you need to worry about. The Indian rhino has an amazing sense of hearing and smell. If you ain't downwind they'll smell ya, and if you so much as brush by a bush, believe me they'll hear ya."

The brunette CEO frowned at this and Kale seemed to notice the grimace.

"Don't worry. If you see a rhino and you know they've got you on the radar- heh even if they don't- just back up slowly and **never** make any sudden movements. You don't want two and a half metric tons of sharp horned hell and fury coming after you. They can go up to 55 km per hour and maintain it for short distances. Try out running that while lost in the mountains."

Seto silently gulped.

"That's why we respect that this is their natural habitat," said a new voice. Jordan held out her hands to help steady them both as they crossed a slippy stream bed. Seto ignored it. "The right set of mind it to know that this is their home, we're just the unwanted guests."

Seto steadied himself. Jordan motioned for Kale to move up to join the group up ahead then handed a tired looking Seto a water bottle.

"Stay hydrated, you're body isn't used to this kind of assertion" she said nonchalantly.

Seto snorted bitterly. "I'm in top physical form, I'll have you know." Just to spite her he refused the bottled liquid life.

Jordan rolled her eyes. "Top physical shape and hiking non-stop through the Himalayas are two different things." She pushed the water back into his hands. "I'm not doing this to look after you; we can't have you slowing us down because you passed out from dehydration."

_Cold hearted witch_.

A little devil version of himself popped up on his shoulder. _"Annoying little psychopath, that one. Hey, see that jagged outcropping over there? Push her over it, nobody'll notice." _Oh how hadly he wanted to listen to that side.

_"Don't even think about it mister!"_ the angel side of him squeaked angrily. _"She's looking out for your best interest. You don't want to pass out now either do you?"_

Seto stayed silent and the angel took it as a no.

_"I didn't think so. So stop being so stubborn!"_

Oddly enough the tiny devil-him concurred. _"Considering you're actually listening to us, I think that's enough to say you're dehydrated. But I still like the pushing her off the cliff idea. You know you want to."_

_"That's enough!"_ The angel snapped. _"Don't give him ideas. And you mister! You should be more considerate because believe it or not you two have identical personalities! So you'd better get used to it!"_

And with a poof they were gone.

The thought made startled him. _**HER**_ like _**HIM**_? It gave him goose bumps. No wonder he didn't get along together, she was the female version of him. Wow, he really did need that water. He snatched away the water without so much as looking at her, nose in the air.

"Humans think they own everything," Jordan said, breaking him from his mini epiphany.

"They think this earth is they're right to control and all the creatures on it are there to serve and fatten they're bank accounts. It's disgusting."

Seto noted the cold fury hiding within the syllables of those words and he couldn't help but feel that the undertone was somewhat directed at him even though she kept her eyes straight ahead and her pace brisk.

"Everyone freeze!" Eric kept his voice low and everyone stiffened in alarm.

Suddenly Seto found himself forced to crouch low to the ground as everyone dropped to the ground like cats listening for a dog. Jordan had her hand on the back of his neck and mouthed _'Don't move.'_

His heart thundered in his chest against his will, his blood running cold. Was it an animal, elephant, rhino . . . _tiger_? Curiously, Jordan held up her hand and showed the devil horn sign that peopled normally used to rock out with at a rock concert.

Eric shook his head and everyone except for a very confused Kaiba let out a subtle sigh of relief. Instead Eric flashed the 'Hang loose' sign and everyone sighed much more audibly and stood up, dusting themselves off.

"What was that?" Seto demanded, but still keeping his voice low.

"This" Jordan held up the devil horn sign again, "means poacher. And this" she held up hangs loose, "means locals." She turned to the team. "We'll give them a wide east birth."

"But that'll push us into grassland," warned Kale.

Jordan smiled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "When wronged what is the best thing to do?"

" . . . Take the high road?" the dark haired young man replied delicately.

"_Bingo_. We're gonna scale that."

Seto followed her pointed finger. A sheer wall of cliffs stood like an impenetrable wall jagged and not at all an inviting place to stand near let alone climb.

"If we can manage that we'll have a great view of the fields and be able to plan out way around it without being seen. And who knows, maybe Mr. Kaiba will be able to see a real rhino," she finished, smirking in amusement at the flash of shock and fear that sparked across his sweaty but handsome features. Seto noticed this and glared.

"Sounds good to me." Phoenix complied, spitting out a very chewed toothpick.

Squad T1 one helped each other out of their backpacks, including Seto, and all of them stretched happily, rotating their sore feet. The brunette also noticed with sickening realization, that the back of his entire shirt was soaked with sweat. Only one word could do it justice: **_Ew_**.

"There's a harness in the second pocket" Phoenix said, walking behind him.

Seto turned and watched him suspiciously. There was something about this guy, something he couldn't quite put his finger on that set him on edge. True he didn't know him all that well but that was all the more reason not to trust him, especially in his books. He wasn't like Mokuba when it came to people. Seto Kaiba was not a social butterfly, not in the least; maybe that was one of the reasons he was in this very predicament.

"Hurry up we don't have much time," Eric said, who was also regarding Phoenix carefully.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow and lifted his hands, showing that he had nothing hiding in his fingers. "Loosen up, Donolov."

Eric hissed, spitting something at him in a language that gave his slight accent full power, Russian by the sounds of it. The dark haired junior sneered then stomped away.

"I don't trust that guy." He sat with a sigh. Seto silently agreed.

"'Right pretty boy, looks like we're paired again," Colby grinned.

Seto scowled.

Ten minutes later and he still had the same scowl etched permanently in his features, although it had grown deeper, just like the nasty wedgie he was getting all thanks to Colby.

"Almost there pretty boy. How's the view?"

"Oh it's great" Seto replied scathingly, putting every drop of sarcasm and venom his being had to offer into each syllable. Colby just chuckled.

This couldn't get anymore awkward. Because of the way he was positioned the front of his body was pressed against Colby's back, arms over his shoulders as to retain some means of escape from the massive pain in his-

"Heh, you should be thankful." Jordan panted lightly, a fine sheen of sweat covering her face, legs, and almost overly muscular arms, her lightly tanned arms speckled with freckles at the shoulders. Seto watched as the red head scampered up the wall like she was simply walking down a street, not climbing up a sheer rock face. She only glanced back at him once but it was enough to figure out what she was thinking.

"You're enjoying me being completely emasculated, I hope?" God, this harness was starting to ride up in areas a harness should never be.

Jordan turned to look back at him. "I-"

Her face turned white.

All Seto heard was a horrible snap and then felt his body slowly slipping, down through the humid air. Colby tried to turn around and catch one of his hands but it missed by inches. Others watched in horror, repelling down but not fast enough. He knew how this was going to end, there was no escaping it; the sharp rocks at the bottom would be his doom. He could just see it now:

_"Seto Kaiba, most powerful man in the world dies in tragic rock climbing incident thanks to faulty gear. Why was he in the Himalayans? Nobody knows, all we do know is he was strapped to an Australian man's back."_

What a great picture that would paint of his reputation.

Seto let out a loud, hard "_ghack_!" as he was jerked quite literally from his thoughts to see a pair of dirty freckled hands locked onto his wrists. The CEO looked up in surprise. Jordan's face was twisted in pain; eyebrows scrunched together, teeth bared and eyes narrowed as she tried to hang on him. But there was something else, Seto looked up over her shoulder and saw that her foot had become tangled in the ropes and because of his extra weight was cutting into her skin, releasing a line of blood to snake most cruelly down her calf.

"_Hold . . . onto me . . . **stupid**_!" She grunted.

Seto dropped his gaze to below them. Nothing but sharp rocks and a long painful roll down to back into the woods, holding on sounded like a pretty good idea. His larger hands gripped her wrists just as the rest of Squad T1 desperately tried to aid them.

Jordan squeezed her eyes shut. "For a skinny guy . . . you sure are heavy."

Seto almost smiled. Almost. Considering they were dangling dangerously off the side of a cliff and she was trying to make a joke, yeah, that definitely deserved an almost Kaiba smile until a agonized yelp came from his lifeline as they fell sharply down another few inches. Jordan's eyes flew wide, staring over her shoulder.

The metal loophole she'd nailed into the rock face was slipping.

"Miss Taylor!" Colby exclaimed.

Jordan's head whipped around, eyes blurring back and forth trying to think of sort of plan. Seto switched back between her and the failing lifeline. There was only one way.

"Let go."

"What?"

"I said _let me go_!" he ordered.

She looked at him like he was nuts, which in all honesty he probably was.

"No! The ground down there's too dangerous!"

He glared. "Well if you haven't noticed it's not exactly safe up here either! Let go of me, you're less likely to fall without my weight."

Jordan gaped at him, mouth opening and closing. For once, she didn't know what to say. Seto smirked. Taking a deep breath the CEO relinquished his grip around her wrists, blue eyes closed as he pictured his landing to be like Wile E. Coyote's off of the cartoons Mokuba liked to watch. Of course Seto was surprised even slightly disappointed when after a handful of heart thumping moments nothing happened. No god-awful '_thud'_ no breaking bones . . . just nothing.

"Like I would let you kill yourself that easily," Jordan sneered in a grunt. "You trying to save me is sweet 'n all but I don't think lugging your ugly corpse around is gonna be any easier than the live you."

Seto frowned sharply. "You idiot-"

The words barely left his mouth when the anchor gave sending them both into a free-fall back down to earth and quite possibly their deaths.

Jordan's hands clenched in his shirt and at some point his arms became wrapped around her torso. The last thought to run through his mind was how incredible soft she felt in his arms.

* * *

**Thanks to those who reviewed. I'm sorry if I didn't reply to some, I promise I'll be better on that this time around lol **

**Yes this is a bit of a cliff-hanger (pun intended) I'm already started on the next chapter. Can't say when it'll be out though. I'm working on yet another Seto Kaiba fic as well coming soon :D Thank you for reading, and please review if you'd like.**

**.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi.**

* * *

The first thing Seto remembered was the unevenness of the mattress. Second, the annoying inconveniences of dozens of sharp object jabbing into his back and shoulders.

Everything hurt. His head alone felt as though it had been cleaved in two. A faint metallic taste lingered in his mouth. The taste of blood. Perhaps he'd had too much whine last night. He never got drunk. Maybe he'd past out on his keys, or fallen down 100 flights of stairs.

Seto tried to bring himself to open his eyes but his eyelids flat out refused to budge. With a quiet groan he moved his hand to his head and felt the rough gauze of a bandage running around the circumference of his head beneath his bangs, a second wound tightly around his forearm. What was going on . . .

Then something soft met his fingers. Whatever it was it was a welcomed sensation compared to the irksome aching of all his limbs. It was the only thing not completely sweltering hot. A one night female companion . . .? Last night's party must have been a wild one if he picked up a girl.

Seto continued to pet whatever it was with his thumb, rolling his head to the side then managed to open his eyes just enough to make out his one night stand's face.

Only it wasn't some rich man's daughter. Well actually it was, but not the kind he would have guessed.

The tips of Jordan's vivid orange hair tickled his cheek, and he realized the softness he'd been stroking was the delicate underside of her forearm. He quickly jerked his hand away, which caused a lot of unnecessary pain. Seto made a quick mental note to move slower.

What was he doing here, and with her of all people? Sharing a be-

Wait a minute . . .

Sharing a . . . _TENT?_

Rapidly, wide blue eyes looked around the small makeshift version of a tent. It was more like a tarp placed over a rope spread between two trees. The plastic material was also set very low to the ground leaving no more than a foot between it and his nose.

This was no lavish party . . .

Slowly everything began to come back to him, piece by painful piece.

_The rock climbing . . . Jordan holding onto his wrists . . . blood . . . India . . ._

Oh God, this really wasn't a dream.

Seto's gaze dropped back to the young woman lying by his side.

Her body looked as bruised and battered as his. Odd, when he remembered- vaguely of course- taking the brunt of the deadly fall.

She stayed strangely still, although he could see her chest rise and fall tenderly. Her brow creased. Most likely she was in pain even her subconscious couldn't hide from. Her light colored eyelashes made for a natural compliment for her tanned, freckle sprinkled skin. Resting against his shoulder, Jordan's head tilted slightly, her lips parting just enough to let out a noise signaling she too was gaining consciousness.

Seto tried to sit up. He'd rather not be in this compromising position when she awakes. His reputation was already walking a thin line. Cuddling with a David Suzuki wannabe didn't fit his profile of a productive morning.

Seto managed to get to his elbows, his chest silently crying out in pain like his lower back. All the blood rushed to his head and Seto found himself pausing in his quest to blink and regain his focus. The ground refused to stop spinning, but that wasn't the reason he froze in place half a second later.

"I can't do anything now" hissed a very angry voice. He couldn't make out who for sure, but by process of elimination he guessed it to be Robin. "They could wake up any moment!"

A reply to her voice was an almost inaudible mumble, something Seto couldn't catch even despite his impeccable hearing. Maybe if he got closer.

"But I-!"

A twig snapped under his hand. The voices stopped.

"Mr. Kaiba, good to see y'all are doin' a bit better," Robin welcomed, suddenly appearing out of thin air at the mouth of the makeshift tent, that brighter than the sun smile stretching across her face. She kneeled down to check the bandage around his head.

Maybe he'd just imagined it, Robin wasn't the type of person to sneak around like that. He should know, he'd been around that type of people all his life.

"Well it could have been a lot worse" she sighed, checking his other bandages and bruises. "You don't know how lucky you two really are . . ." Her voice trailed off and her smile disappeared.

"Very lucky . . ." groaned a voice beside the pair. Jordan winced as she sat up. "Apparently he's useful for at least something . . ."

"Miss Taylor!"

Once again Colby's booming voice sounded like a foghorn in the quiet rustlings of the jungle. Seto and Jordan cringed at the same time, each mumbling a groan of their own. Seto brought a hand to his temple. Jordan did something similar.

"Quiet, please, Colby." The red head pleaded. "I'm fine, and I'm going to presume you are as well, Mr. Kaiba?"

Seto nodded but stopped realizing she couldn't see him on the account of her eyes remaining pinched shut.

The Herculean bodyguard whispered a barrage of apologies and was at Jordan's side in an instant.

Of course that meant he had to get under the tent, which undoubtedly meant pushing up the side. With a hiss the tarp slid over the rope and landed over Seto and Robin, nothing but a bumpy, talking tarp in their place.

Robin giggled cutely. "That man doesn't know up from down when it comes to her." The doctor looked up.

The position they'd come to land in was with Robin kneeling over his knees, slender arms by his hips between his own that supported him so he could sit up. Her hand came up to cup his face. Their noses became inches apart.

"You're not so pale," she said, voice heavy. "That's good. You looked like a ghost . . ."

Abruptly the tarp was ripped off them.

Seto blinked at the sudden light but focused on something else, something he didn't believe he'd saw.

Jordan's nutmeg eyes narrow to slits, the fiery emotion of anger fighting to spread to the rest of her face.

_Pure, unadulterated fury,_ maybe . . .

_**Jealousy?**_

Seto only caught a glimpse when green army shorts blocked his view.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that, didn't mean to go burryin' ya," Colby bellowed quieter, lowering the volume a decibel. At least he was trying. He offered his hand but Seto ignored it. From the corner of his eye he saw Robin throw him a disappointed look before taking Colby's hand instead.

Seto wobbled on his legs, not something he'd normally allow his body to do in front of other people but he let it slide. All the aching of his body lying down was nothing compared to the pain of standing. His chest gave a sharp jab, like a stitch in his side when he ran for too long, when he tried to take a deep breath. So he opted for shorter more even breathes instead.

The forest of India, or Nepal, he wasn't quite sure, flourished around him. Everything was green, the waist high ferns, the bushes and lower trees, and the canopy above. The only other colors were the baby blue of the sky and the mahogany tree trunks of the tallest trees stretching towards it. Mahogany brown . . . just like-

Seto whirled around as fast as his injured body would allow.

But Jordan was already moving away. Her back stayed turned to him as she walked towards Eric, Nathan, Kale and Phoenix. He knew she was limping. She couldn't hide it completely, though God knows, she was trying. Never the less she picked up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder, grimacing at the jostle.

"Hey wait boss!" Kale said, panicked. "Take it easy, you just woke up! You need to rest-"

Jordan ignored him. "Eric. Status report."

Eric frowned but obeyed. "After your fall we moved three miles south east. We avoided the cliffs but we had to move into the farmland. Th-"

"How long was I unconscious?" Jordan demanded.

Eric hesitated.

"I asked you a _question_, Donolov." The words came out as a hiss.

"17 hours and 23 minutes, ma'am."

Seto saw her body stiffen. He didn't know whether to be amused or worried.

"We've practically lost a whole day," Jordan growled, her voice precariously low. She stayed silent for a long moment, and then suddenly her head snapped up. "Why are you all standing around?! Get your things! We're going double time today!"

Foliage crunched under her feet as she strode towards Seto. It took six longs strides, a motion that made even Colby stand a little straighter.

"We can't have anything slowing us down now, Mr. Kaiba" she seethed. "You'll be dropped off at the next village with a phone. From there you can find your way to Delhi."

"No," Seto replied coolly.

Her umber eyes flashed. "Excuse me?"

"I said **no**," Seto repeated. He swore he heard her teeth snap together.

"I thought going home is what you wanted," Jordan said through her teeth.

Seto shrugged, covering a flinch of pain. "It was. However, I also said I wouldn't be leaving you alone until you signed my contract, and since you left that at base camp I find myself needing to follow you to make sure you don't run off."

Well, at least that was partially correct. Truthfully, he didn't want to leave because this was too much of a challenge for him to turn down. His opponent? Jordan Taylor. Diehard environmentalist, protector of all the innocent little animals and tough enough to stand up to _him_. That was something that deserved commendation by itself.

No, the gauntlet had been thrown and he was in this until the end.

Jordan looked livid. Her clenched fists shook by her sides, just itching to hit him. Robin swallowed nervously. She was probably mentally debating on whether or not she should step in before she had to stitch one of them up _again_, and wondering if she could do so without getting her head ripped off. Her eyes flickered to him, then widened in awe.

"But you're hurt." Jordan gritted the words one at a time, not bothering to sound sympathetic.

"So are you" Seto answered frostily.

"But you're worse!" Her tone sounded mildly hysteric.

Seto realized he'd been smirking. Honestly, it was funny, but he didn't want to risk getting dragged off by Colby. So he wiped his face clean of any expression and replaced it with a cold business like one instead. The move threw Jordan for a loop, even as mad as she was. Seto grabbed the opportunity.

"You remember my . . . _request_ back at your office, I hope?"

Her dirt smeared faced paled and her jaw locked. "Yes."

"Good. I'm glad you see it my way. I knew you'd come around." He spoke with a leering smile.

Jordan inhaled a fast, deep breath through her nose, chest rising and falling sharply. She nodded stiffly. Nevertheless, she didn't look away. Seto felt the fire in her eyes clash with the ice in his.

Briefly they glared at each other until Jordan abruptly ended the silent argument and stormed off into the brush. Still limping.

* * *

The day worn on as SquadT1, plus Kaiba Corp.'s CEO, diligently made their way though the jungles of northern India. The atmosphere stayed tense and everyone kept quiet, except for the occasional questions in navigating. Other than that, talking seemed to be silently forbidden less one of them accidentally provokes the brooding redhead leading the march.

Seto preferred to listen to the sounds of the strange, emerald world around him. Nathan fell back with him whispering under his breath the names of the calls coming from the canopy above or the brush below.

Soon he was able to identify the loud caw of the Blue Peafowl, the frantic tapping of the White-Bellied Woodpecker and both heard and saw the oddly named Swamp Dear, giving a shrill baying whistle as it sprinted away.

This place was so different than Domino.

Remembering back to his world geography class, one line shot to the front of his mind.

_'India is a land of magic and mystery . . ._'

Of course everyone knew where he stood with so called "magic". He got enough of that when he was forced to be around Yugi and his group of lunatic disciples. However despite his 'cynical' views on the supernatural he had to admit there was something about this place.

Magical? That was debatable, but mystical? He'd give that a resounding yes.

It was in the air, he could practically taste it. It hung like the mist, it clung to the vines, the petals of the wild flowers, to the bark of the mighty Himalayan cedars. Seto Kaiba doesn't shiver, but a definite quiver tingled up his spine.

Thinking of home gave a smart pang to his insides taking away from the wistful world of North Eastern India.

_**Mokuba**_.

Seto wondered how his brother was coping. It had been nearly a week since he'd seen the bouncing ball of black hair he called a brother. Undoubtedly he was worried, as he should be. His big brother had seemingly run off and disappeared into thin air. But Mokuba was a smart kid, he'd figure it out. All he had to do was look at his planner and follow the trail from there-

"Psst! Rookie!" Kale nudged him in the side.

"What?" Seto hissed back, shielding his injured side from further poking.

"If you haven't noticed, bud, we're taking the long way." Kale frowned sharply, jutting his chin towards the front- towards the very frustrated looking red-head who was stomping her way through the underbrush glaring at a hand held GPS unit.

Seto's eyes narrowed. "And what does _that_ have to do with me?"

"Well if you went and talked to her it would help us move a little faster in the right direction for starters." Kale gave him a dark, meaningful look. "And maybe ease some of the tension . . ."

Funny how the first seemed to be the request, Seto thought, and the second was the demand.

He opened his mouth to argue, only to find all of Squad T1 suddenly behind him, gesturing him forward. How did that happen . . .?!

"Do it or I'll put leeches on you while you sleep!" Kale hissed.

Seto's eyes widened comically and he shuddered at the idea. Kale wouldn't think twice about doing it either.

So the CEO swallowed- made an obscene hand gesture- then lumbered his way forward through the thicket of foliage until he was in step with the red haired time bomb. He cleared his throat.

Jordan didn't seem to notice. She was too busy violently shaking the seemingly broken GPS, muttering curses like a sailor. Seto tried again.

"Ahem . . ."

No dice.

"_Ahem_ . . ." A little louder.

Not even a glance. Was she deaf or something? Nobody ignored Seto Kaiba.

"Ah-"

"Would you shut up?! I know you're there! _God_!" Jordan screeched, throwing her arms in the air. The members of Squad T1 flinched back.

"You could have just said so." Seto had to work to keep his voice indifferent. You have to admit she was entertaining.

The forest lulled back into a tense, uncomfortable silence. Seto sighed. Might as well try again. Could lose a limb or two, but honestly, he was a corporate suit lost in the jungle with a bunch of loons, what did he have to lose?

"Nice weather we're having." He tried but he couldn't stop the smug grin.

"Are you _**trying **_to provoke me?!" Her teeth ground together so hard he could hear them cracking. Jabbing the console into his chest, Seto found himself automatically holding his hands up in case she tried to lunge at him, which she looked more than ready to do. Phoenix whispered something to Eric and Jordan's head snapped around. Jeez Louis she really was like a fox.

"No, Phoenix, I don't need the GPS. And no we are I not /I lost! So I would shut my mouth if I were you until you know what you're talking about!"

W-o-w. If looks could kill . . .

The thought was abruptly cut off as Jordan shoved the GPS into his hands and stormed like hell itself into the mass of emerald.

Seto looked down at the piece of technology. The dimly glowing screen fizzed sickeningly, showing that they were somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic. Running his tongue over the roof of his mouth, Seto glanced up at the retreating back of his only female rival then down to the GPS. The first real good- if not slightly off- piece of hardware he'd held in days. He had the sudden urge to hug it, wrong coordinates and all. But of course he didn't. Seto Kaiba didn't "hug" . . . where anyone could see.

Kale patted his shoulder, sighing heavily. "Well, at least you tried. I guess we're gonna have to think of something else. Hey Nathan is there some sort of rare flower 'round here?"

"I don't think that would be a very good idea . . ." Nathan frowned.

The pair launched into a debate over whether or not Jordan would like the idea of them picking any local plants. Let be and let live 'n all that. Seto wasn't listening. Instead, he turned the GPS over in his hands, thinking.

It was newer technology. Not complex, mind you, but definitely not stuff made available to the public market yet. Opening the latch on the back, he grinned to himself. The jumble of wires and chips that would confuse even a technology expert looked like a cakewalk to the CEO. A few adjustments here, untangle a naked wire there and viola, fit as a fiddle- or a GPS, whatever. Surely this would get Jordan off his back. And besides, now she owed him one.

It took a harrowing jog to catch up with her, but Seto managed, holding out the newly restored GPS like it was the prize-winning piece of the science fair.

"I don't need that," Jordan said shortly, turning back to maneuvering the ferns.

Well didn't that just pop his balloon. Seto's eyes narrowed. "We're in the middle of nowhere. I would say you do."

She snorted, expression turning amused. "Some of us, Mr. Kaiba, don't need to rely solely on technology. Really, I don't need it."

"And how is that?" Seto snapped. "You plan to just meander along in some random direction until we just happen to come across a giant cat?"

Jordan paused in her step, making him stop to. "You really don't think very highly of me, do you?"

That lobbed him a curve. Her voice wasn't angry nor was it holding anymore of that annoying gratification. It was simply . . . empty.

Seto looked away awkwardly and after a moment Jordan continued walking, him following mechanically.

From the corner of his peripheral vision he could see her tossing him a glance every few minutes, scrutinizing his features. They crossed two streams, helped each other uncouthly up a loose dirt hill and scrambled over half a dozen fallen trees before she spoke again.

"Thank you for fixing this." She said quietly, gestured to the GPS. "It's very important for finding Zahra."

Could this get any more awkward?

"Your welcome." Seto murmured.

Jordan pressed a button on its dirtied black surface and the screen changed. No longer did it show them but some far off red blip further north. It was tracking the tiger. He'd figured as much.

"You don't have to be worried about me getting everyone lost you know" she said, still in that scarily vulnerable tone. "I know this place better than I know the back of my hand."

At least this was better than having her biting his head off. "How's that?" he asked.

The corners of her mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. "Easy, I was born here."

Seto stumbled in surprise. "You were born here?"

"Yes." She seemed hesitant to elaborate. For the first time Seto felt as though he was seeing the seventeen-year-old girl rather than the environmentalist. She kept her eyes downcast and he could only make out the chocolate brown through her thick, lightly colored lashes. Jordan inhaled, and then the tender girl was gone.

"My mother was living in Canada when she heard what was happening to the tigers. She was on the first flight to India she could find. Crusading against illegal poaching, traditional medicine makers and the government, trying to pass laws to protect Bengal tigers and their shrinking habitat. She was speaking at a seminar in Mumbai when she met my father. They got married that same day and four years later I was born."

Her rambling trailed off into deep though but Seto couldn't tear his attention away. For whatever reason, her story fascinated him. He actually _wanted_ to hear more. Breaking from her reverie, Jordan continued.

"Anyways, I grew up here. Dragged all over these mountains and back again. Like I said, I won't get us lost." She finished, waving her hand airily as though the story was no more than a boring news report. Something niggled at the back of his mind that told him there was a lot more to the story.

_"I believe you."_ He wanted to say. But of course he couldn't.

"I didn't ask for your life story." The words came out as a sneer and he regretted it instantly.

Jordan's face turned cold, the warm cinnamon of her irises hardening. The tension was back. Her gaze locked on his.

"Everything goin' alright up here?" Robin's sweet southern drawl broke the stillness, eyes smiling with innocence. Seto felt both her arms wrap around one of his. Jordan's eyes flashed dangerously and in a blur she turned on her heel and called Eric and Kale to her side to discuss coordinates. It was the last real show of emotion he'd see from her in the coming days.

That is, until the poachers came...

* * *

**Thank you to those who reviewed. I'm sorry this took so long to put out. I've been working on my other Kaiba/OC story "You, Me and Baby Makes Three". As much as I love writing a teenage Seto that one has an older, though I don't know about mature, Kaiba. Go check it out and see what you think. Review if you'd like, I love hearing from you guys. :D**


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